The World Health Organization estimates that Seven out of 10 dogs in the world are homeless and the shelters are filled with dogs and cats every day. have been abandoned to their fate on the streets.
There are various reasons why end up living on the streets such as loss of commitment from owners, financial constraints, unwanted litters and lack of information about the pet. Owning a dog or cat can take 10 to 15 years, a responsibility that not all pet owners are willing to take on. On the streets, these animals suffer from hunger, thirst and cold.suffer from untreatable diseases, being run over, poisoning, uncontrollable reproduction, psychological damage and abuse, among other abuses.
For this reason, there are cases of residents of communities, neighborhoods and colonies who are concerned about the care of stray animals.according to their possibilities, since due to issues of space and economic resources they cannot adopt them. Many people give them names and know their temperament and preferences. Trust is increased by mutual contact, and a caress and words of affection are an incentive for the animal, making its suffering less heavy.
An example is Iris Maricela López, an independent rescuer of cats and dogs, who has rehabilitated them and given them up for adoption, and who keeps an eye on the animals that live near her home. So that they do not lack water, they put it inside gallons that were used for drinks, open and with washed stones at the bottom, so that they are not blown away by the wind or stolen, and they are tied with wire to the window balconies. The water has to be changed twice a day, and after people, who do not like the animals, pass by and throw garbage or cigarette butts into them.
As for food, Lopez says, You can use a wide PVC pipe, about 50 cm high, with two joints to make it into a J shape, so that sympathetic neighbours can fill it with concentrate, which falls to the bottom when consumed by dogs. It is also important to attach them to posts or balconies with a nozzle at the top, to prevent leaves or trash from getting in. He suggests placing them under a window or wall tab, so that the concentrate does not get wet if it were to rain.
Homemade dog feeder with PVC pipe. (Photo Prensa Libre, Shutterstock)
As for shelters, Lopez has made dog houses out of empty plastic bottles, tied together with ribbon or wire, in the shape of an arch, attached to a wooden or cardboard base, inside which he places a blanket, so that the dog is comfortable. He also suggests covering it with recycled vinyl blankets to protect them from the elements.
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And as there is always some animal in need that we can meet on the street, López always carries a bag of concentrate and bread with ham to give them.
The castration of these animals is important, This is why Lopez implements the “catch-neuter-release” system to prevent overpopulation, even of those that are owned by neighbors who do not have the resources to do so. or they don’t want to. If a neighbor takes them to be castrated, another can give up their house for their postoperative recovery. Mercedes Tala Rodríguez, member of the association Huellitas con amor, in San Andrés Iztapa, Chimaltenango, He has castrated about 60 female dogs in this way.
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AHe himself has covered medical treatments for dogs, especially those with skin problems or those run over, as well as euthanasia for those given up for dead. In rainy or cold weather, Tala, who has 12 rescued dogs of her own, He gives shelter in his garage to dogs that are not afraid of being admitted into his house, and they are released in the morning, because they are used to being on the street. “Several dogs come to my house at a fixed time, because they know that we will have their food.” It is important to educate people so that they are not indifferent to the needs of these animals,” he concludes.
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